Feeding device for chocolate-molding machines



1926. v April 6 F. D. SMITH Fxzznme DEVICE Fon CHOCOLATE MOLDING momma 4 sheets-sneek 2 Filed Oct. 28, 1922 April 6 192e. 1,579,407

' F. D. SMITH FEEDING DEVICE FOR GHOCOLATE'MOLDING MACHINES Filed Oct. 28, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 WWW/@lm April 6, 192s. 1,579,401'

F. D. SMITH FEEDING DEVICE FOR CHOCOLATE MOLDING, MACHINES Filed Oct. 28, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 s -f Y y 36 7 z/ ,/5

Vg L/y HIIIIIIIMEHII! mnnl! mllllllllllmlm Patented pr. 6, 1926.

entre IRIER'EBIICK Di SMETH, Ol PHLADE''PHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Encarna DEVICE son @nooners-nonnina neonates.

Application tiled` October 28, 1.9.22. serial no, er/,eea

To 'all 'whom t may concer/n.1

Be it known that FREDERICK D. SMITH', a citizen o'f the United 'atates,` resigdifng at Philadelpliia, in the county of Philadelphia and' Stat'epof' Pennsylvania, have invented ments;

The object of the invention is to provide a 'novel device ofi the above character by which. the feeding may be positively conftrolled so that they saine'. nunji'berof al'inonds. or other solids Willr be dropped' into each compartment, and freed from anyf shells', or other foreign 1natter' thereby insuring a clean and'A desir-able noduct.

ThisJ object, .andL other advantageous ends which will* be described hereinafter, I ail-- tain i-n the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in Which-Y Figure 1 isl an enlarged vertical longitudinal* sectional view of the device,

Figure 2 is a top plan vieiv,

Figure 3 is a side elevation,

Figure 4f is an end View lookin-g toward the, left end of Figure 2, a

llligure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional elevation taken on theA line 5 5 of Figure 1 with certain parts omitted,

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional elevation, taken onV the liney 6,-6 of Figure:

l, with part: of the suction cylinder broken lawa-y and in section',

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective View' of suction cut-ord means, and

Figure 8. isa perspective vieiv of an' agitator forming a part ofthe device;

Heretofore in this class of machines, Inuchdifficultyy has been experiencedin cons trollingA theY feeding action so that the sanie nuinber of nuts or other edible solids would be dropped intofeach nrold compartment and' the bars' produced have lacked uniformity,

some containing excess numbers, and others insuicient numbers. The bars, are also. lia-ble to contain fraginents of shells or other objectionable foreign matter.

The present device is designed to overrcoine these objections and embodies a hopper beneath which, a pan or inold is niiomed before or after the chocolatev or other duid confection is deposited therein, ineens for agitating the solids and suction operated incaus for feeding. a predetermined number of solids into, the niofd compartments in; regular order and frese of shells or other foreign matter, thus insuring a uniform and salable product.

lfn the drawings, l0v is a hopper beneath:

which a IIlOl'd' lgl is adapted to. innige, the. niold' having series of compartments, l2 in; which thev chocolate or other confection, bars alge to, be molded'. As. shown, the def. Vice includes a' clfiannelshaped frame L3, having a base 14j, and parallel sides1 Donnivardly diverging inclined Walls 16, and? lj C Olllotj the sides to form hopper; lfO in which the alinonds or other vsolids are placed.v A horizontal' shelf liS is provided et the. bottom; 0f the l'iopper abovel c'oinpart-- ments 12A so that fraginents of shells; 0li other foreign in atter will@ not drop into the incida The l'oiver end of'wall 16 contacts Withshelf 18,. and the lower end of wall 1f( terminates a short distance above the, shelf to provide an outlet 19. vertical partition 20, terminates above shelf ljS tof provide a dis chargey open-ing 2 1.` Partition 20. entends` between sides l5, is sllidabl'e in guidjeyvays on the inner facesl thereof and has clainping means 22 at each end, passing'tl'rough slots 23;, adapted to hold the partiti-onIv in vertically adjusted; positions to vary the size of discharge opening 21. in adjusting plate 24' is secured to partition 2O and inclines forwardly over s lielf' 1S. Thel loaver edge of plate 2li ifs, located above the lower edge of partition and ifs provided With a series, ofequidfistant concave recesses 25, adapted to permit' the` passage of a, nut. A cylinder 2.6;

is journal'cd in sides 1'5 between shelfV 18 and' the lower edge of plate 24 and provided with means, such as a crank handle 27, whereby it may be rotated. has a row7 of holes 28 in its wall in aligninent with recesses 25 and has swi'veled Aor other connection to an air suction pipe 29 at one end, to create suction in the cylinder-` The holes 28 should be of less area than, the nuts to be fed so that nuts will not pass through.. A cut-off is provided which preferably consists of a circular rod 30,. disposed against the inner surface ofthe cylinder Wall, having abearing-v 3l at one end around head 3Q at the other end, threaded in a collar 38 carried by the adjacent side wall, by which the rod is held in position and adapted to be adjusted circumterentially within the cylinder. rthe rod 3() is o1 smaller diameter than the cylinder and its periphery being tangential to the inner surlace ot the cylinder, rotation ot the latter eii'ects a gradual opening and closing ot holes 28 as they pass the rod.

Agitating means is provided within the hopper and preferably includes a bar slidably mounted on shelf 18 adjacent wall 16 and guided in slots in sides 15. Bar B-l has staggered vertical and horizontal pins 86 and The vertical pins extend upwardly beneath partition 2') and the horizontal pins extend forwardly slightly beneath cylinder 2G. The ends ot' the bar project from sides and a spring 38 is disposed between one end ot' the strip and a bracket 39, carried by the side, to normally hold the strip in the opposite direction. A cam disk 40 is mounted on cylinder 2G and c alternately presses and releases the agitator bar as the cylinder is rotated thereby causing .itI to reciprocate. A scraper al is mounted in outlet 19 and extends downwardly from cylinder Q6. A damper 12, preferably in the form of a strip, is slidably mounted on cylinder QG around which it partly ei;- tends and projects along and above wall 17, so that it may be moved over any one ot holes 28.

In operation of the device, partition :20 and plate Q-t are adjusted with reference to the nature and size of the substances to be fed. The nuts are placed in hopper 10 and a fan 43, shown diagrammatically, is started to create suction in cylinder 2G through pipe 29. Mold 11 is placed in position to be ted beneath outlet 19. The cylinder is then rotated and the nuts in the hopper are agitated. As the cylinder rotates, in contact with the nuts, nuts will be drawn over the holes by suction, will adhere to the cylinder and pass through recesses As holes QS approach the cut-ott rod, the holes will be gradually closed and suction cut ott, thereby releasing the nuts and permitting them to drop over scraper 41 into the mold compartments. By employing a. round rod for closing the holes QS, scraping et the almonds or other bodies is prevented and the suction gradually cnt ott and in. By uniformly rotating the cylinder, the same number ot nuts or other objects will be dropped into each compartment oit the mold. rlhe suction will collect and remove any fragments of shells, thereby insuring a clean and desirable product.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be understood that the various parts ol my invention may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set lforth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as 'fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. ln a candy molding machine, a hopper adapted to contain nuts; mold compartments movably mounted under the hopper; a cylinder rotatably mounted adjacent the hopper discharge and having a row of holes disposed lengthwise thereof; means for causing suction in the cylinder whereby the nuts may be sucked from the hopper to the holes; means tor preventing more than a single nut from being carried over the cylinder by a suction hole, and means within the cylinder Jfor shutting ott the suction through the hole and discharging the nuts into the mold comparti'nents.

Q. In a candy molding machine7 a hopper adapted to contain nuts; mold compartments movably mounted under the hopper; a cylinder rotatably mounted adjacent. the hopper discharge and having a series of holes disposed lengthwise thereof; means forcausing suction in the cylinder whereby the nuts may be sucked from the hopper to the holes; a plate having a recessed edge adjustably mounted above the cylinder to prevent more than a single nut from being carried over by a suction hole, and means for shutting oit the suction through the holes and discharging the nuts into the mold compartments.

3. ln a candy molding machine, a hopper adapted to contain nuts; mold compartments movably mounted under the hopper; a cylinder having a series ot holes rotatably mounted adjacent the hopper discharge; means for causing suction in the cylinder whereby the nuts may be sucked from the hopper to the holes; means within the cylinder for shutting ott the suction through the holes and discharging the nuts into the mold compartments; an agitator mounted between the hopper and cylinder, and means operatively connecting the agitator with the cyll inder.

Ll. In a candy molding machine, a hopper adapted to contain nuts; mold compartments inovably mounted under the hopper; a cylinder having a series ot holes rotatably mounted adjacent the hopper discharge; a bar slidably mounted between the hopper and the cylinder; pins projecting from the bar; means operatively connecting the bar with the cylinder; means for causing suction in the cylinder whereby the nuts will be sucked from the hopper to the holes, and means for shutting oit the suction through the holes and discharging the nuts into the mold compartments.

5. In a candy molding machine, a hopper adapted to contain nuts; mo-ld compartments movably mounted under the hopper; a cylinder rotatably mounted adjacent the hopper discharge and having a row of holes disposed lengthwise thereof; means for causing suction in the cylinder whereby the nuts may he sucked from the hopper to the holes; means for preventingmore than a single nut from being carried over the cylinder by a suction hole; means Within the cylinder for shutting oli' the suction through the holes, and means Without the cylinder for closing one or more holes against suction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK D. SMITH. 

